In honor of the 20th anniversary of Sonic and Sonic Generations, Sega is putting together a documentary on the bad man himself, and it all starts off with the beginning: the birth of Sonic. You can see this first part below.

The next generation of Sonic is desperate for Classic Sonic’s approval — why else would he need to pull off so many tricks? Join our little guide to unlock the Trickstar Achievement, where Modern Sonic must pull off seven tricks in a row while flying through the air. If you can’t survive the game proper, or just need some answers to those burning hedgehog questions, stop by our walkthrough. For even more extra information, including some crazy codes, drop by our cheats page.

Trickstar Achievement Guide

Trickstar (10G / Bronze): Pulled off seven or more trick combo or six trick combo ending in a finishing trick.

This achievement is for Modern Sonic only. There are two locations where enough tricks can be pulled off; Green Hill Zone, and Rooftop Run.

In Green Hill Zone, you’ll be chased by a giant fish through a cave. This chase ends with Sonic jumping through two red rings followed by a rainbow ring.

After dashing through the rainbow ring, use the left thumbstick to go nuts and pull off as many tricks as you can.

In Rooftop Run, you’ll find a good location to pull off enough tricks after you start climbing the clock tower, then jump off the roof.

Hidden in Sonic Generations is a special Statue Room, where 55 statues are available to check out. Not only is the Statue Room secret, but to unlock the many statues within, you’ll have to use a six-digit password. To help players everywhere, we’ll reveal the location of the Statue Room and every code to unlock every statue inside. Just scroll down to get the lowdown on these secret.

If you’re having trouble getting through Sonic Generations, try stopping by our walkthrough page. For more special content, check out our cheats page.

Statue Room Location and Codes

To access the secret Statue Room, enter the Collector’s Room and hold [Back/Select] for 5 seconds. From inside, type these six-digit passwords to unlock statues.

Think you X-box avatar needs customize his/her look? Check out these special unlockable avatar items, available for completing certain challenges in Sonic Generations. Already a difficult game, check out our walkthrough to get a leg up and unlock these avatar items without losing your last ring. If you’re looking for even more special content collected for Sonic Generations, check out the cheats page, where every extra article is listed for your browsing convenience.

]]>(This is another edition of </RANT>, a weekly opinion piece column on GameFront. Check back every week for more. The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not reflect those of GameFront.)

It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It has never been, nor ever will be, the reviewer’s job to do that. You’d think that was a rather obvious statement, but I’ve seen enough forum threads where gamers agonize over what a new review score will do to a game’s Metacritic ranking to know that it’s still arcane and uncharted knowledge to some people. Speaking of Uncharted, it was not Eurogamer’s job to give it a good score. Threads on NeoGAF may call the outlet irresponsible and unprofessional for its 8/10 review, but that’s only if Eurogamer’s job was to ensure Uncharted got a 90+ Metacritic average. Once more for the dullards at the back of the class — it is NOT Eurogamer’s job to do that.

Same goes for those who posted in this thread and practically demanded high scores from outlets to ensure the average rating for Sonic Generations stayed high. Those who acted almost betrayed by anybody who dared give Sonic Generations anything below an 8.0 — even pre-emptively preparing to attack reviewers who displeased them. It is the job of no reviewer to please you. It is the task of no game writer to tell you only what you want to know. By all means, wring your hands over a game’s review scores if that’s so important to you, but don’t act like a reviewer let you down if he doesn’t agree with you. Unless he explicitly promised to score the game whatever you wanted it to score, he did not betray your trust. He did not fail at his job. If the opinion was an honest description of the game and the reviewer’s thoughts, then the job was completed in its entirety. You don’t really have justification to demand a higher score. That’s not your call to make, and it’s nobody’s job to supply the scores on demand, according to an audience’s direct specifications.

Over the years, I’ve seen comments from gamers all over the Internet concerning the “rescue” of a Metacritic average. I’ve seen people whine and berate a reviewer for “dropping” an average by a point or two, like it was their duty to maintain the status quo, to ensure that a game continues to get high scores for no other reason than popularity. It should offend anybody with a brain to think that such deceit is encouraged and actually craved by a significant portion of a writer’s audience — that people would rather be lied to by a reviewer than listen to their honest opinion. That’s what they want, ultimately — if a writer didn’t like a game, it is apparently his job to lie about that, in order to placate the masses and give them only want they want rather than a personal appraisal.

At that point, what does a reviewer become? An extension of the back of a game box? A press release? Is that what people really want, a review that could have been hand-typed by the publisher itself and mailed out for outlets to regurgitate? Self-appointed “game journalism” watchdogs complain about how bloggers copy and paste press releases, but if all readers want from reviews is identical praise across the board, then I think we as a community waived the right to ever complain about so-called journalists being little more than hype merchants and PR extensions.

This goes both ways. Complaining about scores AND thanking reviewers for scores. They’re both equally entitled attitudes, really. If you thank a reviewer for giving a game the score you wanted, you’re still acting like he was employed only to confirm your own opinion, rather than share his own. You’re still misunderstanding what a review is actually supposed to be, so please don’t do that. Please “get” that a review isn’t about validating you.

When you post something like, “I can’t believe those mutherf**kers had the nerve to give Uncharted 3 an 8,” you are basically saying that the reviewer’s appointed task was not to actually review the game, but to rig its score in order to keep fans happy. Last I checked, that’s not what actual criticism is supposed to be. A reviewer’s job is not to make you happy. It’s not to make you feel secure about whatever collector’s edition you pre-ordered or make sure that the developers get nice fat bonuses on top of their paychecks. If you think I am just repeating the same argument over and over again, you’d be right — because it apparently needs to be repeated a thousand f**king times in order for some of you dipshits to actually get it.

So again – It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game. It is not a reviewer’s job to boost the Metacritic scoring average of your favorite game.

Welcome to the Sonic Generations walkthrough page, where our Sonic Teamsters will show you how to keep up the pace. Falling into a dimensional portal, new and old Sonics meet and combine their strengths to make racing through Green Hill Zone fun again. Nostalgic fans will appreciate the return of old-style Sonic from the Sega original, while new fans can enjoy taking Sonic for a spin through incredibly fast-paced racing stages that test your reflexes at every turn.

Scroll down for the full scoop on Sonic Generations, but if you’re looking for extra information on the Blue Hedgehog’s team-up adventure, stop by our achievements, trophies, and cheats pages.

The Blue Hedgehog with an attitude has changed over the years, but not so much that he won’t return for another platforming adventure for the whole family to enjoy in Sonic Generations. Here you’ll find the full list of trophies available in Sonic Generations, unlockable while completing the silly and speedy challenges. Two Sonics meet due to dimensional portals and join forces to make the ultimate Sonic videogame, combining all the best elements from old and new. Being a super-fast hedgehog is never as easy as it looks, so stop by Game Front’s Sonic Generations walkthrough.

For more information on Sonic Generations, stop by the cheats page where all our special articles are collected.

Regular Trophies

All Trophies Collected! (Platinum):
Collect all Trophies.

The Opening Act (Bronze):
Race through the first stage.

All Stages Cleared! (Silver):
Clear Sonic Generations.

Greased Lightning (Bronze):
Clear GREEN HILL Act 1 within one minute.

Bright Star (Bronze):
Get Rank S in an Act.

Shooting Star (Bronze):
Get Rank S in three Acts.

Blazing Meteor (Silver):
Get Rank S in seven Acts.

Blue Comet (Silver):
Get Rank S in twelve Acts.

Big Bang (Gold):
Get Rank S in all Acts.

Trickstar (Bronze):
Pull off a seven or more trick combo or six trick combo ending in a finishing trick.

Eradicator (Bronze):
Defeat 100 enemies.

Ring King (Bronze):
Reach the goal without dropping any of the rings you collected in GREEN HILL Act 1.

Next gen meets last gen in Sonic Generations — time portals are involved. Here you’ll find the list of achievements available for Sonic Generations, where 2D and 3D races mix together combining the best elements from the Sega originals and the newest games in the franchise. As always, you’ll play as the Blue Hedgehog, racing through nostalgic levels that are fun platforming challenges for the whole family. There’s plenty to explore off the beaten path, so join Game Front with our walkthrough. If you’re looking for more extra information on Sonic Generations, stop by the cheats page.

Welcome to the Sonic Generations cheats page. This is your one-stop location where every special article (If any!) we have is collected and listed for your browsing convenience. And convenience is the name of the game, as we’re here to provide a walkthrough for Sonic Generations. This time, Sonic of old and Sonic of new meet thanks to some dimensional trickery and join forces to fight an evil new force threatening to destroy every Sonic from every dimension. Combining the 2D sidescrolling action of the old Sonic: The Hedgehog with any of the next generation Sonic games’ forward racing and platforming into a sublime experience you won’t want to miss. So read on, Sonic-maniacs.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/sonic-generations-cheats/feed/2Get Your Sonic CD on Later This Year (TRAILER)http://www.gamefront.com/get-your-sonic-cd-on-later-this-year-trailer/
http://www.gamefront.com/get-your-sonic-cd-on-later-this-year-trailer/#commentsTue, 06 Sep 2011 01:26:39 +0000Phil Owenhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=122458It's that old game on new platforms!

Yeah, bringing old games to new platforms. It’s always good to see an old game stay alive like this, even if it’s something I don’t care about like Sonic CD. This revival of an old game will be making its way to PSN, Xbox Live and phones (but not Blackberries, you losers) in “late 2011.” Here’s a trailer:

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Sega has a lot of old games. A LOT of old games. And they’re “constantly” thinking about bringing some of it back, said Sega West president Mike Hayes in an interview with VG247.

We constantly review the IP we’ve got in the locker because that’s one of Sega’s big advantages. And when we bring it out and do it properly, like re-imagine Sonic or doing Sega Rally Arcade Online and stuff like that, we have success. Some of it when we try and do it, like Golden Axe on PS3 and 360, it didn’t do so well.

Hahahahahaha Golden Axe. Yeah, that was funny.

So we carefully look at each IP and every month, we review the locker of IP and think, ‘how could we release those and if so, what are we going to? Will it be a big game, digital, free-to-play?’ We constantly look at it. What I can say is that you will continue to see a reinvention of classic Sega IP coming to various platforms over the next three-to-five years.

VG247 smartly asked about Shenmue, to which Hayes said they had no plans for that franchise. Dang it, Dan. But, hey, maybe next month they’ll have plans.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/sega-you-will-continue-to-see-a-reinvention-of-classic-sega-ip/feed/1All The Games That are Worth a Damn for the 3DS Will Be Playable At PAXhttp://www.gamefront.com/all-the-games-that-are-worth-a-damn-for-the-3ds-will-be-playable-at-pax/
http://www.gamefront.com/all-the-games-that-are-worth-a-damn-for-the-3ds-will-be-playable-at-pax/#commentsTue, 23 Aug 2011 13:49:11 +0000Phil Owenhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=119285So it makes more sense to just go to PAX than to buy a 3DS right now.

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Nintendo has announced it’s lineup of playable 3DS titles at PAX and, well, it’s pretty much all the ames that would make the 3DS worth having. Even Ocarina of Time 3D, which has been out for two months, will be there. Here’s the full list of playable games.

]]>The Sonic the Hedgehog series is wack. You know it. I know it. It’s nothing but running really fast into coins. It’s as if Sega, when looking for their own Mario-killer mascot, wrongly decided the best part of the Super Mario Bros. games is when mario gets star power.

That said, the song in the commercial is pretty awesome. And maybe giving Sonic the Spider-Man: Edge of Time treatment will be a good thing.

There are a lot of Sonic games. If you don’t believe me, just watch this new Sonic Generations trailer, which also features a bunch of footage of a large pile of old Sonic games. There are so many of them! And, if you can believe it, the franchise has been going for a whole 20 years. It’s nice to finally see a long-running game franchise that isn’t older than me. Sonic can’t even buy booze!

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/sonic-generations-20th-anniversary-trailer/feed/2Can We Start Believing in 2D Platformers Again?http://www.gamefront.com/can-we-start-believing-in-2d-platformers-again/
http://www.gamefront.com/can-we-start-believing-in-2d-platformers-again/#commentsTue, 05 Jul 2011 19:03:47 +0000Jim Sterlinghttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=108334There's still some of us who want to run from left to right.

]]>(This is another edition of </RANT>, a weekly opinion piece column on GameFront. Check back every week for more. The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not reflect those of GameFront.)

I usually play through a demo two or three times after downloading it, just to get a good feel for a game before it launches. With the Sonic Generations demo, I can’t tell you how many times I played it but can confirm it was more than a few. That demo is great as far as this writer’s concerned. Almost perfect. However, my love of the demo is tinged with sadness, as I can’t stop remembering that the 2D brilliance is going to be followed by the considerably less pleasing 3D racing-style section I played at E3. There’s just no way SEGA would dare release a full-fledged 2D platformer on its own at retail, and I find myself asking … why? Why did we get it in our heads that you just can’t do that anymore?

Like many gamers who grew up in the nineties, I played a lot of 2D platformers. Sonic was joined by Zool, Mr. Nutz, Earthworm Jim, Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure and countless knock-offs, all boasting the 2D gameplay that undeniably defined the 16-bit generation. When technology allowed for 3D graphics, however, everything changed. Sony didn’t want grotty 2D gaming on its technologically superior PlayStation, and games like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and Croc became the new platforming blood. We managed to get a handful, such as the well-respected Heart of Darkness and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but 2D platformers mostly fell by the wayside. Over the intervening years, they never regained their respect.

You still see 2D gaming on handhelds and downloadable platforms, but that is considered the best they can do. They simply aren’t considered good enough to share retail space with 3D games. SEGA’s highly anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog 4 launched on downloadable platforms, and Konami won’t release a retail Castlevania unless the sprites have been replaced by polygons and the beautiful 2D levels replaced by boring, drab, dreary bullshit. These are old school games that have struggled to create decent 3D experiences, and I have to ask … why are they trying? Why not stick to what works? Because of an old grudge that console manufacturers had against 2D gaming two generations ago? It’s ludicrous.

I think there’s a serious amount of potential in releasing an “old fashioned” platformer at retail, complete with HD graphics and a full eight-to-ten hours of gameplay. If Sonic Generations consisted entirely of 2D levels, I know I’d buy it, and I can guarantee you a significant amount of people would join me. The Generations demo features impressively tight gameplay and beautiful visuals. I want an entire game like that, not half a game just because of an old and silly stigma.

As game budgets increase and products frequently cut content due to deadlines and financial constraints, I’d say the time has never been better for 2D platformers to make a return. Level design would be easier and you could pack in so much more content due to not needing to create huge 3D environments. The knock-on effect would be intuitive titles that offer more gameplay due to the saved time and money. I’m not developer, I fully hold my hands up to that, but I invite any developer to explain to me why a 2D platformer wouldn’t be significantly easier to craft in this day and age. I think it would be so much simpler to create a gorgeous, lengthy, tightly paced 2D game than it would be to make a 3D one.

I also think there’s a significant market for it, too. Retro is cool, and you don’t get much more retro than a platform game. Adults would dig the nod to their old school past, while kids would easily buy a brightly colored game that’s easier to get to grips with. As the owner of a child, I can tell you that they’re not discerning in the least and will literally play anything. That, right there, is a significantly widened audience compared to a purely kiddy game or a purely adult game. Anyone can play it. Again, I’m not a developer, but this makes total sense to me.

2D platform games were a huge part of my life as a gamer, and I find it incredibly sad that they’ve been relegated to handheld and downloadable arenas. While it’s great they at least have some sort of home, I want to see more HD, full-length platformers and I don’t think I’m alone. We’ve had a few returns to the genre, such as A Boy And His Blob on the Wii, but most publishers are still of the “nobody wants 2D games anymore” mindset that germinated swiftly at the end of the nineties.

Well, I want 2D games. I want platformers like the ones I used to play, but with 3D models and gorgeously polished new environments. There has to be a market for that, right? I’m not just dribbling this opinion on my own, am I?

Some of us just want to go from left to right, and don’t need to spend half a game looking at Sonic’s arsehole in order to buy a product at retail.